Egregious Etiquette Errors

I really like alliteration in titles, if you can't tell. I think that's one thing I haven't come across in Korean, so I kind of miss it. I never realized how much alliteration I use until I start doing blogs.

To the point:

Sometimes while experiencing a new culture, mistakes are made. Some of these mistakes can be minor, to where no one really cares, and no one really calls you out on it. Then, there are mistakes that are simply egregious. Some that just so happen to be incredibly rude or strange that Koreans can't help but call you out on it.
These are my stories. Names may have been changed to protect privacy. (And by "may" I mean "have not")

Food: Do not stick your chopsticks in rice when you're not using them. I was warned about this before I got here. This is a big mistake, they tell me. Do not do this, they say. So....what do I do? I don't stick my chopsticks in the rice. (haha, you thought I would be the one to screw up, didn't you?) No, it wasn't me, but someone else did.
A simple visitor to my humble school, who happened to be foreign and happened to put his or her chopsticks in his or her rice when not using them.

Apparently it wasn't that big of deal. Or, so I thought. My co-teachers didn't say anything about it at the time, but waited until he or she left and then brought it up to me. "Did you see? He/She put his/her chopsticks in the rice. Why would you do that? Do you know?" This is the part where I'm supposed to have all the answers on why foreigners would do something wrong. Of course, I was a big disappointment, as I said, "I don't know."

"Bless you"

Where I'm from, when someone sneezes it is customary to say "Bless you." Doesn't necessarily have religious connotation anymore, it's just habit more than anything. However, in Korea, you don't say anything after someone sneezes. When you do, in my experience, people tend to look at you strangely and laugh.

All about context clues:

Koreans have a very distinct way of getting a point across. That is, they don't get to the point. Ever. It's a very indirect pattern of speech. You are left with only context clues to guide you on what to do. Be careful. This could, and often does, go horribly wrong.

Opening doors:

Usually a man, or delightfully polite woman, will open a door to allow someone else to go through, or at least hold it open behind them for someone behind them not to get hit in the face with it. However, in Korea, you don't do this. If you do, you will be there forever. Seriously, there are too many people to do this. Also, people look at you weird.

When in doubt, just bow:

This one is actually really important. It's a respect thing. There is a certain hierarchy based on job, age, family, wealth, gender, etc., that must be followed. If you're not sure about what to do, better to be overly polite and just bow. EXCEPT to people you know are younger than you. It's weird.

Anyway, that's about what I have to say about etiquette errors that I have learned.